Combination therapy of intra-arterial 5-fluorouracil and systemic pegylated interferon α-2b for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: This study evaluated the efficacy of combined 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) α-2b in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Fifty patients with portal vein tumor thrombosis were enrolled. Of these, 21 patients were treated using subcutaneous administration of PEG-IFNα-2b and intra-arterial infusion of 5-FU (5-FU/PEG-IFN group), 12 patients were treated using intramuscular administration of IFNα-2b and intra-arterial infusion of 5-FU (5-FU/IFN group), and 17 patients received intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy with lipiodol-cisplatin (CDDP) suspension (CDDP group).

Results: The objective early response rate was significantly higher in the 5-FU/PEG-IFN group than in the 5-FU/IFN or CDDP groups (71.4 vs. 8.3% and 17.6%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Cumulative survival rates at 6 and 12 months were 83.8 and 77.8% in the 5-FU/PEG-IFN group, 60.8 and 16.2% in the 5-FU/IFN group, and 58.4 and 12.5% in the CDDP group, respectively. The cumulative survival rate was significantly higher in the 5-FU/PEG-IFN group than in the other 2 groups (P = 0.0272). Serious complications and treatment-related deaths were not observed in any of the 3 groups.

Conclusion: Although a prospective randomized controlled trial using a larger population of patients with advanced HCC is needed to evaluate combination therapy with 5-FU and PEG-IFNα-2b, this new combination therapy may be useful for patients with advanced HCC.